Whitewater Times

The 2025 Youth Apprenticeship breakfast took place on Tuesday, March 4, recognizing 93 seniors from Watertown High School for their involvement in the program. Since its inception in 2009 with an initial enrollment of 39 students, the program has grown significantly. This year, a total of 124 juniors and seniors are participating.

The Youth Apprenticeship program is overseen by Sarah Tarpey, a Family Consumer Sciences teacher and School to Career coordinator, along with Heather Jozwowski, the Jefferson County Youth Apprenticeship coordinator. The initiative collaborates with 101 local business mentors to offer apprenticeship opportunities to students at WHS.

Students involved in the program can choose apprenticeships across 16 career pathways. These include Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications; Business Administration; Education; Finance; Government; Health Sciences; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Marketing; Science, Technology & Mathematics (STEM); and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.

After the breakfast event, representatives from partner businesses joined parents and caregivers of the Youth Apprenticeship students for a tour of the Career and Technical Education department at Watertown High School.

A group photo features graduating seniors alongside program mentors, parents and guardians, as well as WUSD staff members.